Aaron GagnonGRAND RAPIDS -- The addition of the expansion Texas Stars to the American Hockey League may have benefited no one more than Aaron Gagnon.

Since the team started play this season, the 23-year-old center has seen his role expand offensively and has made his NHL debut.

He's no longer simply a penalty killer and faceoff specialist like he was for the Grand Rapids Griffins last season.

Gagnon made his return to West Michigan in the Stars' 4-1 loss to the Griffins on Friday night at Van Andel Arena.

"It's too bad we don't get to make it a little longer stay, but it was fun," he said. "I know how they played in here last year; it's a tough team to beat on their home rink."

Gagnon was held without a shot and had a minus-1 rating against the Griffins, but he is third in scoring for Texas with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 19 games.

Last season, he had eight goals and 11 assists in 61 games with the Griffins.

"Last year, I killed a lot of penalties and just kind of played my role," Gagnon said. "I got a good opportunity this year to get some extra minutes, play some power play and stuff, and it's a great chance to get some numbers up there."

Gagnon spent last season in Grand Rapids, along with current teammates Garrett Stafford and Landon Wilson, because the Dallas Stars didn't have an AHL affiliate. Stafford and Wilson were scratched Friday night.

Gagnon made Texas Stars history when he became the first player to be recalled to the NHL. He made his NHL debut in Dallas' 3-0 loss against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 16. He took 13 shifts for 9:06 of ice time, and was reassigned to Texas two days later.

"It was amazing. It's basically every kid's dream come true. It was a short time, but I had a blast with it," Gagnon said. "It took a little while to sink it. It didn't seem right at first, seeing those guys out there, (Zdeno) Chara and stuff.

"It was something else. Quite an experience."

Meantime, Gagnon is enjoying his time with Texas, the hottest team in the league. The Griffins snapped the Stars' 12-game point streak, but Texas still leads the league with 30 points and sits in first place in the West Division.

"We expect big things out of our team, we don't want to slow down," Gagnon said. "It's early, but the quicker you can get ahead and stay up there helps you in the long run.

"You can't just wait until the end and turn it on for the playoffs. You want to roll all the way through."

And while he enjoyed his time in Grand Rapids, he's happy to play in the organization he signed with -- rather than bide his time with a bunch of Detroit Red Wings prospects.

"I think we've had a great start to the season so far," Gagnon said. "It's early yet, but we have done real well and I feel at home there. It's nice to be with your own team."